Page 62 of Feral Alphas

He crosses to the dining table and reads from his rehabilitation textbook. “Floorspace: a hundred and twenty square feet.”

I snap out my measuring tape and he comes to take the end while we measure up. “Fuck,” he hisses. “Five feet off.”

“Wait a sec,” I say, throwing open the cupboard doors to slide the tape inside. I run the numbers in my head and grin. “We rip these and the sink out, and we’ll scrape in with an inch to spare.”

“You’re a bloody genius, Luka!” He ruffles my hair. “One down. One to go.” He swears softly under his breath. “We either cut into my office or give up the living room.”

If we had money, we’d discuss building additions to the house, but pulling some cupboards out is all we can afford. I still don’t know how we’re going to pay for the plumbing that needs to go in.

I scratch the stubble on my cheek and sigh. “Could we move your desk into our bedroom?”

Colt shakes his head. “Your desk’s in there and you need some of your own space. Plus, legally, I need a lockable room since I bring confidential material home.”

I glance at the tiny laundry. “Then I think we should bring the TV and couches out here into the dining room and put one of the alphas in the living room. Since it’s so much bigger, we could swap the ferals around each week to share the space?”

He shudders. “Once a month maybe, and I’d have to call in backup. Manhandling one at a time is gonna be work, let alone two. Fuck, and we’ll have to wash them at least weekly.” Colt shakes his head. “No, I think we should cut into my office, because otherwise we won’t be able to breathe. There’s something else we haven’t considered.”

Colt grabs the measuring tape from me and the gaffer tape from the table and proceeds to lay down a rectangle beside the laundry room wall. “There’s a three-foot no-walk zone in front of every set of bars the alphas can reach through.

I groan. It’s like a Tetris match, and with the added danger zone, it would be impossible to bring couches in here. “Fuck. I hope the other guy takes one look at this and offers to buy us a new house!”

Colt snorts. “Wouldn’t that be nice.”

Right on cue, an engine sounds outside and I run to the foyer window to take a peek, whistling as a dark-gray Audi wagon rolls up to the curb. “Wow, look at the sleek on that!”

Colt peers over my shoulder and snorts. “And look at the clearance. He must scrape on every curb and bump in the road.”

We trade nervous looks and Colt grins. Trust him to be thinking about practical things like parking and speed humps.

A dark-skinned man unfolds from the driver’s seat, and he’s got one of those physiques that looks like he’s stepping out of a commercial for the suit he’s wearing, or for the Audi itself. My stomach drops to my toes as he swivels to survey the neighborhood and then double checks his car is locked.

Colt pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had visitors. Do you remember the rules?”

I nod, my anxiety fading instantly. Colt’s in control.

I step back as my Sir opens the door. “Hello. You must be Kye. I’m Colt Nesters.”

“Hey there.” Kye shakes his hand. He has a pleasant tenor voice, but I can hear the nerves in it.

“Come on in. This is Luka, but don’t try to shake his hand.”

Surprise flickers across his face but he manages to nod in greeting. A quiver runs through me as I catch a whiff of Rose on him. He must’ve come straight from the Omega Center.

Colt touches my shoulder. “Luka, could you put the kettle on?”

Something to do with my hands is the best news in the world, and I rush to get out the mugs and a selection of tea and coffee.

“Oh, wow, it looks like the 1950’s died in here,” Kye says and Colt laughs.

“Yeah, it’s an old house and we’ve never had time or money to change anything.”

Colt leads him into the dining room and moves the toolbox to the floor. “Since you’re here, I’m taking it Rose confirmed you’re a scent match and you’ve had the gory details from the Center.” Colt tips his head toward the tape on the floor. “We were measuring up to see how on Earth we’re going to fit the cages in for her feral alphas.”

Colt drags out a chair as I get the teaspoons from the drawer. “Why don’t you have a seat, and we’ll get to know each other?”

“Sure. All sounds very civilized. I can’t decide if this is like meeting the in-laws or brothers I didn’t know I had.”

Colt snorts and I hide a smile. It seems like Kye’s the sort to say whatever’s on his mind. There’s a subtle change in the air as two alphas size each other up, both unconsciously leaking pheromones and posturing.

---